Education Cannot Wait Launches US$1.9 Million Groundbreaking Grants to Advance Gender Equality in Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises

As the world marks this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence global campaign, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations, announces two new grants totalling $1.9 million. These grants aim to advance gender equality in education in emergency and protracted crisis settings.

These groundbreaking initiatives, delivered in partnership with the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and Plan International Canada, are designed to transform gender norms, support girls and women, and promote inclusive, safe, and equitable education opportunities for children – especially girls – living in areas affected by armed conflict, forced displacement, climate-induced disasters and protracted crises. 

It is projected that by 2030 only 1-in-3 girls in crisis-affected countries will have completed secondary school. Today, 53% of the 72 million crisis-affected, out-of-school children are girls. These girls are exposed to heightened risks of gender-based violence such as sexual violence, child marriage and early pregnancy. An estimated 70% of women experience gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts compared with 35% worldwide. 

“Girls living in emergencies and protracted crisis settings face complex barriers to realising their right to education – simply because of their gender. Without access to safe and protective learning environments, the aspirations and dreams of young girls are too often cut short by early-child marriage, gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, and exploitation. These new ECW partnerships with UNGEI and Plan International Canada will further strengthen our collective efforts to empower girls to reclaim their rights. It will transform systems, remove barriers, and empower girls, teachers and entire communities. This partnership is determined to ensure gender-transformative action,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait.

"Four of the five countries with the largest gender gaps in education are conflict-affected. This grant enables the UNGEI partnership to step into this gap and work with our partners on the ground to close it. We look forward to working with ECW to support girls in emergencies and protracted crises to learn, grow and thrive. Investing in girls' education is the most powerful way to build resilient communities and a more peaceful and just world," said Antara Ganguli, Director of the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI). 

“As an organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and gender justice, particularly focused on girls in all their diversity, we emphasize the importance of systematically measuring intersectional gender equality outcomes in education during emergencies and prolonged crises. This approach is essential to drive meaningful, gender-transformative and inclusive change, ultimately strengthening the broader community of practice,” said Tanjina Mirza, Chief Programs Officer, Plan International Canada.

The first grant, with a budget of $1 million, will be implemented by UNGEI over three years. This initiative seeks to address systemic gender inequalities in education by integrating gender-transformative approaches in education in emergencies programming. This includes introducing a crisis-sensitive component to UNGEI’s Gender at the Centre Initiative to foster political support and provide technical capacity in countries where ECW-supported Multi-Year Resilience Programmes (MYRPs) are being implemented. The grant will also enhance collaboration between education and gender sectors at global and national levels, strengthening networks and advocacy platforms to promote gender-transformative education, girls’ agency and empowerment, gender-based violence, comprehensive sexuality education and child marriage.

The second grant, with a budget of $900,000, will be implemented by Plan International Canada over three years. This initiative focuses on the effective measurement of gender transformative change in education in emergencies and protracted crises. This work will provide enhanced evidence on shifts in social norms, attitudes, and empowerment outcomes among students, educators, and community leaders. The grant will also help strengthen dedicated in-country gender expertise throughout the lifecycle of ECW-supported MYRPs by enhancing the function of ‘gender-led organizations. 

“As part of this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, ECW calls on governments, the private sector and philanthropic donors to join our efforts and step-up support for gender-transformative education initiatives in crisis settings. Together, we can break down barriers and address the root causes of inequality and violence, paving the way for a world where girls can equally achieve their full potential,” said Sherif. 

Additional background: 

The new grants align with ECW’s Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls Policy and build on ECW’s significant strides in advancing gender equality in education for crisis-affected children and adolescents, under its 2023–2026 Strategic Plan: 

• 100% of ECW investments include costed gender-based violence risk mitigation measures to ensure girls and female teachers feel safe in and around learning spaces.
• 40% of ECW-supported MYRPs renewed or developed in 2024 include a local women-led organization in their consortia, receiving funding as directly as possible.
• In 2023, adolescent girls in all their diversity represented 52.5% of the adolescents reached at secondary education level. This includes married girls, adolescent mothers, and girls with disabilities from host communities, refugee and internally displaced communities.